C38 Strut snapped in half!

Dec 6, 2016
20
Catalina C38 Pt Richmond
Last time we sailed it was uneventful. Very light wind and motored back to the slip in calm water and no issues. Parked the boat went home. Next time at the boat I scrubbed the bottom we got ready to go put the boat in reverse and clunk clunk clunk. Dove in the water to look and there it was half the strut on the boat and half the strut hanging down fro the shaft. Hauling the boat at a local yard May 4th. Waiting to hear hopefully good news that simply replacing the strut will be all that is necessary. I see on Catalina Direct they have the strut for $650 and the bearing for $68.
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
Bumber of a way to start the season. Check your HE zinc if you suspect electrolysis got it. Best of luck

Les
 
Dec 6, 2016
20
Catalina C38 Pt Richmond
Hauling the boat tomorrow for bottom job and replacing the prop strut. I was able to get it from Catalina Direct. Hoping the labor isn't an absolutely ridiculous cost. Looking into the drawings of how it was originally installed looks like an involved job besides the access issues. Attached the drawings.
 

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Johnb

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Jan 22, 2008
1,419
Hunter 37-cutter Richmond CA
Ouch - which yard are you going to? How are you going to get it there. Please let us know how it turns out.
 
Jul 1, 1998
3,062
Hunter Legend 35 Poulsbo/Semiahmoo WA
Several years ago there was a Columbia 50 in the yard that was hauled out next to me. The skipper was an architect who just retired and was fixing it up to cruise down the coast from Seattle to Mexico and beyond. While putting the finishing touches on the boat with bottom paint and zincs, his strut broke!

Part of the strut was faired into the hull and it broke right at the hull surface. Needless to say, it was a heck of a lot better that it broke in the yard than out in the Pacific as the part down the coast to Southern California can be pretty treacherous, especially with the bar crossings.

Being an older boat it took him a while to find a way to replace it.

At least you were still in the marina if not even still in the slip. Lucky!
 
Dec 6, 2016
20
Catalina C38 Pt Richmond
I feel very luck it broke where it did. It could have been a lot worse.

It is being hauled out at Bay Marine Boatworks in Richmond. Waiting now for the lift to be available. Fingers crossed everything else is okay.
 
Dec 6, 2016
20
Catalina C38 Pt Richmond
Saw the boat today. Bottom looks good. The new strut is so much beefier the yard mechanic thought it must be the wrong part. The original does seem a little small. Photo attached.
 

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MitchM

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Jan 20, 2005
1,009
Nauticat 321 pilothouse 32 Erie PA
p shaft support struts can be overstressed if there is excessive p - shaft vibration --such as from engine mounts being totally bottomed out.
 
Dec 6, 2016
20
Catalina C38 Pt Richmond
p shaft support struts can be overstressed if there is excessive p - shaft vibration --such as from engine mounts being totally bottomed out.
Engine mounts are good and the engine runs very smooth. Never feel vibration. Yard mechanic says it looked like corrosion. Maybe in the past the boat lived in a marina that had a lot electricity in the water. Shaft zincs were good also. Luckily the shaft is in good condition. I have only owned the boat since Nov 2016.
 
Dec 6, 2016
20
Catalina C38 Pt Richmond
Well the boat has finally started to get worked on in the yard. Quote came in at over 5K. Wow! I got a second quote just to make sure and it was $300 more. I just hope everything will be solid after this for awhile. The boat budget or any budget needs time to rebuild after this. I suppose it would be a good time to check on the transmission fluid since they have the water heater out of the way and it will much easier to get around in there. I also want to change to a fixed three blade. Cruising these days instead of racing. Catalina Direct says 15inX12PX1in. Haven't seen that prop out there in used market yet. Any ideas?
 

Ted

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Jan 26, 2005
1,254
C&C 110 Bay Shore, Long Island, NY
A friend of mine just had the identical job done on his boat. Cost was just north of $4000. The mechanic spent more time removing the old strut than installing the new one.
 
Dec 6, 2016
20
Catalina C38 Pt Richmond
Where was he located? Seems everything is more expensive in San Francisco Bay area these days.
 
Dec 6, 2016
20
Catalina C38 Pt Richmond
Finally the boat is repaired. They actually had to fabricate a replica of the original with the Y shape connecting to the hull. The replacement Catalina Direct had needed them to cut a hole in the bottom and we didn't like that. $9000 later and two months in the yard. Ouch!